I Rest My Case

[DOUGHBOYS]

If reading my Stuff, you know that I have a distaste for a few certain words.
Now, there is a word for all of us to hate.
A word that GM's, Manager's, ball players, and writer's use to hide something from fan and fantasy player alike.
We hate seeing this word in almost any context.
During Spring Training, the word is used to hide a known or even unknown injury.
During the regular season, it means we don't get at bats from a player or our pitcher has been pushed back.

There was a time when players, themselves, hated the word.
Willie Mays was told by his Manager that he wouldn't play because of it.
Mays got in the Managers ear for 30 minutes until the Manager relented and put Mays in the lineup.
Now it seems, players embrace the word.
They are seen on the bench, throwing sunflower seeds and practicing handshakes while their replacement plays the game.

The word is 'rest'.

Back in the day, players did not train as players do now.
They went home to another job. They would hunt or fish. They would go on trips.
The time off, highly anticipated, for it was a long season.
This was when players received rest.
During the season, if they could play 162 games, they played 162 games.

Now, players train year round. They don't need another job. They still go on trips and hunt and fish, but they do so while fulfilling an almost daily training ritual.
In other words, they aren't getting much 'rest'.
Now, it is highly acceptable to use the word 'rest' for any malady. Even including real.... rest.
As fantasy players, we see through the word.
We understand that a Manager may want to rest a Closer after three straight appearances.
Or a catcher for a day game after a night game.
Or a Star player after an 18 inning game.
At the same time, they use 'rest' as a cloak.
Andrew Miller doesn't need 'rest', he needs time to heal.
Evan Longoria does not need three days of 'rest' for a Spring that started just four weeks ago.
When a batter goes one for twenty, he needs 'rest'.
Back in the day, he needed benched.

For the most part, 'rest' is crap.
All of us, get our rest while sleeping.
Even ballplayers.
Professional sports have the only bosses that tell their employees to take a day off for 'rest'.
I think the old ball players had it right.
They rested during the off season, not in season.

.........

'Evan Longoria said Thursday that he will be ready for the first game of the regular season.
Longoria has been held out of the Rays' last three Grapefruit League games, but he told reporters that he is simply getting in some extra 'rest' before Opening Day. Nothing to worry about here, apparently.'

[King of Queens]

I hear you, Dan. However, it's not always due to injury or the concealment thereof. The two main reasons, in my opinion, are: (1) too many meaningless games, and (2) too much money on the line to risk injury.

The "rest" phenomenon is running rampant in the NBA as well. Imagine plunking down $200/ticket to see LeBron James, only to find out an hour before tip-off that he won't be playing that night. Not due to injury, mind you. Just...rest.

It's a disturbing trend, but it looks like it's here to stay.

[Bjs2025]

Without trying to sound condescending, when you were doing a physical activity as opposed to the lack of any activity most Americans are used to, you MUST rest for central nervous system recovery and muscle recovery. With all due respect to the old-timers very few of them were in the shape that a lot of today's players are. I am a Cardinals fan, take a look at Matt Holliday or Randal Grichuk. Both guys can probably bench nearly 300 lbs and squat 450 lbs. it is a fact that without time off from working out like this (usually just 2 days per week) causes symptoms of over training and weak central nervous system operation.

[DOUGHBOYS]

Without trying to sound condescending, when you were doing a physical activity as opposed to the lack of any activity most Americans are used to, you MUST rest for central nervous system recovery and muscle recovery. With all due respect to the old-timers very few of them were in the shape that a lot of today's players are. I am a Cardinals fan, take a look at Matt Holliday or Randal Grichuk. Both guys can probably bench nearly 300 lbs and squat 450 lbs. it is a fact that without time off from working out like this (usually just 2 days per week) causes symptoms of over training and weak central nervous system operation.

Sorry, I can't buy this argument at all. I could if it were another sport.
Not baseball.
90% of a baseball game, if not a pitcher or catcher, is spent sitting or standing.
We don't need 'rest' from sitting and standing.
In essence, they are getting 'rest' from their training. Counter productive a bit, right?
The players are in better shape. I understand that.
They already get one off day a week.
I believe if they need THAT much training, that they should train a bit less, so that they can play a bit more.

[headhunters]

this whole issue involves many things- steroids, hgh are 2. The number 1 2 and 3 things are $. the doctors and trainers make a fortune off this- and contradict themselves all the time. Perfect example is - I haven't found one trainer or doctor that doesn't say over use and over training is good. haven't found 1 that doesn't believe in "cross training". But look out if you are teenager asking to play more than one sport- you are "hurting your chances" at college scholarships and need to play just 1 sport 365 days a year. Regarding baseball- home runs and throwing hard pay the most- hence the muscle buildup and the injuries. Execs in all sports know this- but stopping it is the hard part.